My Car Quest

December 22, 2024

An Apollo GT Found At A Garage Sale

by Mike –

I love the connections we make here on My Car Quest thanks to the miracle of the Internet and the support of thousands of readers.

In An Apollo GT – The First Owner I asked if this Apollo GT No. 1072 was in the Concorso Italiano field last year. We now know it was not because it was in storage waiting for someone to find it and buy it!

Ron Kellogg’s former Apollo GT No. 1072 is located in Northern California not far from it’s birth place.

Text and photos by Troy Tagliaboschi

My aunt knows I’m a car fanatic, so she calls me about a garage sale with “race cars” in the basement. We arrive the next day 8:00 am sharp and he’s got two vintage Don Edmunds super vee formula tubs in his basement. After talking to the elderly gent for some time I let him know these are not my type of deal.

As we’re walking out he mentions he has a car sitting besides his home in an inclosed car trailer. Twenty-one years ago he ran low on funds and never finished the restoration. The car is stripped, body work done, jambs and engine compartment painted, (factory green) and the car is sitting on flat tires with factory wire rims.

Apollo GT

The motor and transmission are rebuilt.

Apollo GT

Apollo GT Engine

Good news is its rust free and mostly compete. With no knowledge of Apollo cars we leave and do some research that night and get a hint of its rarity and fascinating history. So we strike a deal the next day.

It’s missing one head light ring, one passenger door latch mechanism and the windshield trim.

Apollo GT

Today we have had the car one week. Our knowledge of International Motor Cars has expanded exponentially. It’s been late nights on the computer with emails and phone calls daily.

My wife and I are excited about our garage sale find!

Troy and Laura Tagliaboschi proud new owners of this #1072 Apollo

Apollo GT

Found at a garage sale – I like this better than “barn find”. A new term – “garage sale find”.

In the My Car Quest post about Ron Kellogg’s Apollo GT Troy and Laura now have copies of the original sales receipt for the Apollo GT body and the sales invoice for the engine from Buick. Plus a photo of the car when new, below.

This is the only green Apollo GT I am aware of – I do not remember seeing another green one. There were 17 Apollo GTs at Concorso Italiano last year and I do not think that any were green.

Unfinished Apollo GT

Unfinished Apollo GT (photo by Ron Kellogg)

Sell your Apollo GT or other classic car on My Car Quest – click here.

Summary
An Apollo GT Found At A Garage Sale
Article Name
An Apollo GT Found At A Garage Sale
Description
A lost Apollo GT is found at a garage sale.
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Comments

  1. I have a green Apollo.

  2. Robb Northrup says

    Mike:

    Car no. 1075 was also green. Formerly owned by Milt Brown, it’s current caretaker is Bill Larsen in Wisconsin. In between, it was repainted a British Racing Green.

    Robb Northrup
    President, Apollo Owners Registry

    • Thanks Robb – AlexM also has a green Apollo (see his comment above). Yet, not one green Apollo was at Concorso Italiano this past August!

      I have never seen a green Apollo in person. I am looking forward to seeing Troy’s # 1072 when it is done.

    • gerald mcglothin says

      Robert Northrop Please call or email me with your telephone number as I believe you changed it and I need to talk to you about my Vetta Ventura. Thanks Jerry McGlothin 928-853-0473 AZ

  3. Rob how do we get set up on the Apollo registry?
    We need all the help we can get. Our car is missing 1 head light ring, a door latch, and the windshield trim.
    I would also like to know what color to code it was from factory.
    Troyt@overaa.com
    Thank you.

    • Robb Northrup says

      Troy:

      Got you on the Registry. Robin DuPry (don’t have his current number) is a specialist at headlight rings. Most Apollos used a Lancia Appia Series II ring. Milt Browns has seen some Healy trim rings that are the same shape. Contact Matt Jones at Reoriginals in TX for the aluminium windshield trim. It’s an extrusion that the coachbuilders in Italy used on a variety of handbuilt cars.

      There are NO paint codes! I’m looking for a photo that has the color. I sent that to AlexM. You may have better luck pulling a chip off behind the padding of the dash (what I did to identify the proper red for my no. 1003) and taking it to an auto paint store. They can scan it and come up with a formula. Frank Reisner used commercially available enamel in Torino. There may have been codes in 1963, but they are long gone. The hazard of a 6,000 mile assembly line…

      Robb

      • thank you robb for the info. I will follow all leads.
        any idea on the pass door mechanism. door latch?
        ( it bolts to the inside of the door)
        ive seen some lit on it being mercedes?
        Thanks again for the help

    • Robert Northrup says

      Troy. NO color codes exist, and what was used was determined by Intermeccania in Torino. No records exist with that company.

      To get a correct match, scrape a chip from behind the dash padding and take it to an auto paint store to scan. They will find a match. If you do this, please send me the information so I can put it in our archives.

      I did this for No. 1003, the first production Apollo (which I owned at the time) and the shop came up with a match for Rosso Barchetta (Ferrari). It is a darker color than what folks have been painting their red Apollos.

      You are already on the registry.

      Bob

  4. Troy,
    Great to hear this info.
    I will send you an reply to your email of what things to look out for that you should fix now. Things that will break if you drive it hard and other issues. That windshield trim will have to be custom fabricated. I’m looking to get a set made for my car now, front and rear.

    Alex M,
    Did you paint it? I thought it was blue? So when are you going to roll this thing out ?

    • Just got done showing the car to my paint guy today.
      I can’t wait for him to get his teeth into it.
      Thanks again don…Appreciate all the help.

  5. No problem Troy. Let me know what pictures you need.

  6. Troy tag says

    Apollo 1072 is now for sale.
    I do not have the time or resources to restore this to the level it deserves.
    Please email me if interested
    TroyT@overaa.com

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